Repeated rocket launch failures, shady dealings and ‘moral decay’ are dealing a heavy blow to Russia’s space industry. National pride and billions of dollars are at stake. If Russia is going to retain its edge as leader in the multibillion-dollar global launch market and as a high-tech space power, it will have to put an end to shoddy engineering and get to grips with chronic corruption.

RUSSIA’S SPACE industry is sinking deep into trouble. Rockets have failed, the space budget has been slashed, high-profile programmes axed, and a new space launch site is mired in corruption allegations.

[[quote]]

This is a far cry from Russia’s space progr...

Not a subscriber yet?

Subscribe now and get the latest in-depth geopolitical analysis and forecasts
from GIS’s unrivaled cadre of experts.